Latch-needle for knitting-machines.



R. W. SCOTT.

LATCH NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19. 1915.

1,175,309. Patented Mar. 14, 1915.

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Application filed August 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Boston, in the county of Sufi'olk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inLatch-Needles for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to latch needles for of the needle, and 2 theordinary latch which is free to swing in a central slot 3 formed in theneedle shank, the latch being pivoted to the needle by means of a riveta passing through openings in the walls of the slot and through anopening at the butt end of the latch, the ends of this rivet-beingswaged or expanded so that it serves not only as a pivot of a latch butalso under normal working conditions to retain in place the walls of theslot. In the operation of the machine lateral pressure is sometimesexerted upon the projecting portion of the latch, as by knots orenlargements upon the knitting yarn, which causes the walls of the slotto Spread and thereby stretch or loosen the rivet, so that the latterprojects at one or both ends beyond said walls when the latter assumetheir normal position. Such a projetting portion of the rivetaccumulates fibers from the yarn in adestructive manner. j As pointedout in my said patent, it is necessary that the slot for the latchshould extend completely through the shank of the needle at one point toprovide clearance for the lint which accumulates inthe slot. Ordinarilythe slot is formed in the needle shank by means of a saw or likecircular cutting tool forming a kerf extending completely through theshank.

. In carrying out my present invention, I

provide for leaving a portion or integral- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Serial No. 46,248.

bridge 7 of the wall of the needle shank at the back ofthe latch slot 3in a position near thelatch pivot 4. As shown in Fig. 1, the

hook 5 of the needle may be bent from a portion 6 of the shank swaged orotherwise reduced in the main from the back of the needle, so that acircular saw-cut so will penetrate to the backwall of the needle at apart of the slot 3 not opposite-the latch'pivot, but above the same,leaving a clearance opening between the points y, y. y

In some cases, for instance when a needle having a thin shank 11 isdesired, I may obtain the benefits of the integral bridge behind 'thelatch pivot in the manner shown in Fig. 2, by reducing the body 11 ofthe needle from the back on the line m,.-. thus providing an openingbetween the points y and y beneath the latch pivot,while retaining ifdesired the construction above the latch pivot illustrated in Fig. 1.

In some situations, for instance? for needles having thick shanks 12, orin which a larger area of clearance opening is desired, a constructionotherwise the same as that of Fig. 1 may be provided with an openingfrom the back of the needle formed by a circular cut' 2 intersecting thecircularv bottom m of the slot'3, but not involving the full width ofthe needle.

An advantage over mypatented structure of all of the above describedstructures follows from forming a clearance opening in the latch slot atthe back of the needle in a part reduced in cross-section for thepurpose of forming a hook, thus avoiding one of the operations necessaryto make the needle of my said patent, and making the improved structureadaptable to straight-front, or forward hook needles.

What claim is:

1. A knitting machine needle having a shank and a reduced hook portion,a latch, and a slot for said latch having a bottom intersecting the backface of the needle at points above the latch pivot only, whereby toleave' an integral bridge structure behind the 'latchpivot.

2. A latch needle having a book, a latch, a pivot, and having therein alatch slot of which the bottom is a curve penetrating the back of theneedle at points above the latch pivot, whereby a bridge structure forsup- 7 the needle shank behind and near the latch bottom intersectingthe front face of the pivot. needle and a part of the back face of the v3. A latch needle having a shank portion needle lying Wholly within thereduced part 10 and a hook port-ion reduced in the main thereof.

5 from the back of the needle, a latch for the Signed byme at Boston,Massachusetts,

hook and a pivot for the latch, said latch this 17th day of August,1915. swinging in a slot'formed with a circular- ROBERT W. SCOTT.

